It's been more than 15 years since artist Howard Porter teamed with Grant Morrison for a nice long run drawing the heroes of Justice League of America. Enough time, at least for him, to now have a rebirth of sorts in the future.

Porter joins with fellow DC Comics vets and writers Keith Giffen and J.M. DeMatteis for Justice League 3000, a new series debuting Wednesday that gives Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Green Lantern a spiffy makeover and places them in a world of stark contrast.

"We've got an almost utopian future and along comes something that turns the lights out and wrecks most of the universe— all of the technology of the future but not able to use it," Porter says of the book's conceit. "It's almost like some worlds are slums but on the flip side you have other worlds that are almost untouched and still gleaming and bright like the ultimate Apple store."

The Justice League of this series isn't a time-traveled crew, according to Porter, but how they became a part of this new locale is an ongoing mystery for the first four issues.

They're missing key elements that helped them work together and be a successful, cohesive team in the past, and qualities that made these heroes great are not intact — for example, Superman doesn't remember growing up as Clark Kent and being raised by his adopted parents in Smallville.

While the heroes have different looks from DC's flagship Justice League series, Porter's goal was to keep them recognizable at the same time. "More muted colors, darker, but I tried to work in some of the iconic symbols that we've seen throughout the history," says the former artist of The Flash and Fantastic Four.

Batman is a hybrid of the classic Bob Kane design and the color scheme of the futuristic hero from the Batman Beyond animated series. And Superman looks pretty much like Superman though the "S" symbol on his chest is a bit more abstract and a breastplate that takes up the whole upper half of his torso.

In order to visualize Wonder Woman's great Amazonian strength, Porter "tried to make her look more barbaric," says the artist, adding that the trademark Lasso of Truth is worn on one arm.

"In this future version, whatever they dream up, their costumes can form. At the end of her lasso might be a wrecking ball shaped like her star."

The Flash still runs really, really fast, but this version wears a bandana over his mouth — "There's a reason that he's got to cover up his body and he runs fast," Porter teases — and Green Lantern is clad in a large cloak, a nod to the history between Hal Jordan and the Spectre.

The visuals are different but one classic aspect is the definite feel of Giffen and DeMatteis' seminal 1980s Justice League International in 3000, Porter says. "The bickering and the fun stuff."

The supergroup themselves will be planet-hopping, though most of the action will revolve around a corporate world called Cadmus, a technological wonder that's "Google times 1,000," Porter says. "It's almost like a vacation but work."

Terry and Terri are dysfunctional siblings running point for the Justice League from Cadmus — they're unaffectionately known as the "Wonder Twins," a reference to the old DC Super Friends cartoon from the '70s.

"They're young and extremely intelligent, but maybe aren't equipped to be calling the shots at this point because they're so young," Porter says.

New villainess Locus puts the hurt on Superman on the cover of "Justice League 3000."(Photo: Howard Porter/DC Comics)

A well-known antihero comes into play some issues into Justice League 3000, but until then the heroes will be dealing with five brand new villains who've caused their futuristic problems.

One of them, Locus, is a blue-skinned demigoddess whose mind is her most dangerous asset, Porter says. "She's very powerful and immediately has a huge crush on Green Lantern that becomes very messy."

So far the artist has reveled in the freedom of having a futuristic playground for Batman, Superman and the rest — one he didn't have back in the 1990s.

"The JLA I did in the past were very much bound by what was going on at the time and continuity, so I had to adhere to the way they were being treated and how they looked and acted," Porter says.

"This time there are no rules to follow so we can totally have fun and take liberties. I can't be wrong when I draw something. I don't need reference because I'm making it up."